Question

In a soda-acid fire extinguisher, concentrated sulfuric acid reacts with sodium hydrogen carbonate to produce carbon dioxide, sodium sulfate, and water.
a. how many moles of sodium hydrogen carbonate would be needed to react with 150.0 g of sulfuric acid?
b. how many moles of each product would be formed?

Answer 1

Chemical reaction: 2NaHCO₃ + H₂SO₄ → Na₂SO₄ + 2CO₂ + 2H₂O.
m(H₂SO₄) = 150.0 g.
n(H₂SO₄) = m(H₂SO₄) ÷ M(H₂SO₄).
n(H₂SO₄) = 150 g ÷ 98 g/mol.
n(H₂SO₄) = 1.53 mol.
From chemical reaction: n(H₂SO₄) : n(NaHCO₃) = 1 : 2.
n(NaHCO₃) = 2 · 1.53 mol = 3.06 mol.
n(H₂SO₄) : n(Na₂SO₄) = 1 : 1.
n(Na₂SO₄) = 1.53 mol.
n(H₂SO₄) : n(CO₂) = 1 : 2.
n(CO₂) = 3.06 mol.
n(H₂SO₄) : n(H₂O) = 1 : 2.
n(H₂O) = 3.06 mol.